Game of Thrones: New Chance
by haythamkenway316
Summary: When Eddard Stark is brought before the people of King's Landing to confess, he makes split second decision that will shake Westeros to the core. See how will this choice affect not only him, but also his family and the other major players in the Game of Thrones.
1. Chapter 1

**AN- hey guys, another new fic I want to try out. For some reason, my hype levels for GOT are off the charts, so this is another fic I just felt like I had to do. Anyways, R&amp;R, and I hope you enjoy!**

**Delay of Executioner**

**King's Landing, Great Sept- **Eddard Stark found himself in front of a crowd of thousands, calling for his blood. They had been led to believe that he was a traitor by Joffrey and Cersei. Ned looked around in the crowd, and saw Arya, being held back by Yoren. He knew she would be safe, so he went along with the plan.

"I am Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell, and Hand of the King." He said, before he looked back at where Arya was, and saw that a group of the city watch were pulling her away from Yoren. He looked back at Cersei, and saw her smug smile, realizing that she knew that his trial would draw her out.

"I have been brought here today, to confess to the crime of treason. But I will not confess, for I have done nothing of the sort. Joffrey is not Robert's heir, He is not even his son!" He said, and the crowd as well as the Lannisters looked on in shock.

"How dare you!" Joffrey shouted, as two soldiers restrained Ned.

"Lord Eddard, if you will not confess, we will have a full trial, where King Joffrey will decide if you are guilty or not" Cersei said, hoping that Ned might agree with the plan.

"No, he won't judge me. The gods will be the ones who judge me. I demand trial by combat!" Ned said, getting a gasp from all those present. Ned was then pulled off of his feet and dragged back to his cell.

**Red Keep, Small Council Chamber- **The small council was called into session almost immediately after Ned's call for a trial by combat. Cersei was currently trying to calm Joffrey down, who was throwing a fit.

"How dare he spread such disgusting lies, I will have his head!" Joffrey said, before Varys spoke up.

"I am afraid you cannot, your grace. Lord Eddard has demanded trial by combat, and he must be given it" Varys said, and the other members nodded.

"Yes, when the Mad King denied Rickard Stark trial by combat and executed him, it started a war" Little finger said.

"I think the biggest problem we have is deciding who will be the champion to represent us, might I suggest the Hound?" Maester Pycelle said.

"Yes, I do believe he will perform perfectly" Cersei said, as the door opened and Janos Slynt entered, with two of his men behind him, holding onto Arya Stark. The young girl was kicking and struggling to get free.

"We have detained the wolf girl as you commanded, my Queen" Janos said, as Arya thrashed about.

"Let me go!" She said, before one of the guards slapped her, bruising her face and cutting her lip.

"Good work Lord Janos, have your men bring Arya to her sister" Cersei said, smiling. The men then brought led Arya away.

"Pycelle go inform the Hound of his duty, and Little finger, make preparations for the fight tomorrow. This meeting is adjourned" Cersei said, as the members of the council filed out as she and Joffrey walked out last.

**Black Cells-** Ned Stark sat in the dark, contemplating his decision. He knew Joffrey too well to know that the boy was crazed, and most likely would have not lived up to his end of the bargain. A light then shone from a fire as a dark form entered. As he got closer, Ned saw it was Varys.

"My my Lord Stark, what have you gotten yourself into" Varys said, but Ned brushed the statement off.

"Who is my opponent to be?" Ned asked, getting right to the point. Varys sighed.

"My lord, you have to fight the Hound" He says. Ned looks down at his bad leg. It has healed a bit, but not all the way.

"What of my daughters?" He asks, trying to change the subject.

"They have captured Arya as well, and she is with her sister" Varys said, deciding to leave out the detail of Arya being hurt.

"Well, I guess I have my work cut out for me tomorrow" Ned says, but gets a smirk from Varys.

"Not exactly, Sandor likes to drink wine before a battle, and I happen to have some milk of the poppy." Varys says, causing Ned to look up at him.

"And no one would notice if Clegane was just a bit out of it" Ned said, getting a smirk from Varys, as the spider turns to leave.

"I believe you are finally understanding how to play the game, Lord Eddard" Varys said, before leaving. Eddard looks down and feels a small piece of bread. He consumes it quickly and quietly, so that he may have something in his stomach when he goes to fight.

**Sansa's Quarters- **Sansa was currently stitching a rip in a dress up. Needlework had always calmed her nerves, and she was very good at it. She heard a knock at the door, and she turned to face it,

"Come in" She said, and Janos Slynt came in, with two of his men, carrying a ratty looking person with a bag over his face.

"This belongs to you" Janos said, as his men dropped the person with a thunk and left. Sansa then went over to the body, and pulled the bag off, revealing Arya.

"Arya!" She said, as she helped her little sister to her feet.

"Sansa, is that you?" Arya asked, as Sansa nodded and sat her down on he bed. Sansa then went over to the other side of the room and got some cloth and water.

"Yes Arya, its me" Sansa said, as she began to clean the cut on Arya's face. The sisters were silent for a few minutes, before Arya spoke.

"Do you think father can win?" Arya asked, worry in her eyes. Sansa bit her lip.

"I don't know, all we can do is pray and be there when he fights" Sansa said, as she finished with the cut. The older sister noted the bruise that had formed, and decided that tomorrow that Arya would keep it covered.

"Here Arya, let me run you a bath, you smell horrible" Sansa said, with a small giggle. Arya smiled and punched her sister in the arm playfully. The two laughed as they had their first real moment together since Eddard had been arrested.

**Morning- **Eddard is escorted to a large plaza, where many people are in attendance. He looks up to where the "Royal" family is, and then a little too his right to see Varys, who gives him a nod. Eddard smiles a little before he searches for his daughters, finding them next to the Lannisters. Arya wears a veil, confusing Ned. As he reaches the center of the stadium, he comes face to face with his opponent.

"Your a dead man Stark" Sandor says, as he draws his longsword. His words are a bit slurred, almost as if he is drunk. Ned is handed Ice, and he pulls the massive blade from its sheath, and positions himself for the fight.

"I will not die today Clegane." Eddard says. Joffrey stands and raises his hand, silencing everyone.

"Fight!" He yells, dropping his hand down. Sandor swings undisciplined strike at Eddard, who parries them. Ned knows that he can't over power the hound, so he looks for openings. The Hound goes for a wild swing, which ends with his sword in the dirt. Ned quickly strikes him in the ribs. Sandor pushes Ned back, before punching him in the arm. Ned winces, but stays on the offensive, as Sandor can hardly keep up.

"What the hell did you do to me?" Sandor says as he barley parries a strike at his leg.

"Nothing, I have been in the Black Cells" Ned says, as he pushes the Hound back, only for him to charge back at Ned. Sandor then gets in a lucky swing, and slashes Ned's bad leg, causing him to fall over. Ned looks up and sees the Hound approaching, he pulls him self up and blocks Sandor's slash. Ned sees his daughters out of the corner of his eye, both standing and watching with worry. He saw the large bruise on Arya's face, and felt his rage boil. He pushed Sandor off him, and swung at him with all his might. Sandor raised his sword to block, only for the superior Valyrian Steel sword to break through the Hound's blade, and bury itself deep into his neck. As the Hound drops dead, The crowd erupts into a mix of cheers and boos. Joffrey is irate, while Cersei glares at Ned. Sansa and Cersei both run down from their seats and happily embrace their father. Ned collapses as the glomp him, laughing at their energy. There celebration is cut short by the sound of slow clapping. They look up and see Cersei, standing in her booth clapping.

"Well done Lord Eddard. You have won your freedom" She says.

"Aye, I have. And I formally break the engagement of my daughter to your son" Ned says.

"Very well, you may take her and go" Cersei says. Ned begins to hurry his daughters away, only for two gold cloaks to stand in their way.

"What is the meaning of this? You said we could go!" Ned says, causing Cersei to chuckle.

"I said you and Sansa could leave, I never said anything about Arya. She still needs to be held for her crimes." Cersei says.

"What crimes!" Ned shouts angrily. Cersei then points at Joffrey's hand.

"She and that butcher's boy attacked King Joffrey while we were on the kings road. Your other daughter even admitted it. My husband was lenient, but now there is a new king. And he will show her true justice." Cersei said. Ned holds Arya close to his side, as the gold cloaks put their hands on their swords. Arya slowly pushes away from her father.

"It's okay father, take Sansa and go" Arya says. Ned looks down at her, and back to Sansa.

"I won't leave you after you've been alone for so long!" Ned says. Arya pushes away from him, tears in her eyes.

"I said I'll be fine! Now go before they arrest you again" She says. Ned leans down and kisses her on her forehead. Sansa hugs Arya, and the family members part as two guards lead Arya away. As Ned leaves with Sansa, he walks by Varys.

"Can you get her out of the city and to Winterfell?" He whispers. Varys shakes his head.

"With your man Yoren under watch and Winterfell being the first place they would think she would go, no. But maybe I can get her somewhere else where they won't find her" Varys says as the two walk towards the city gate.

"Where?" Ned asks.

"I can send her with a trusted man to Essos." Varys answers, shocking Ned.

"What, who do you trust for something like this?" Ned says, and Varys gives him a wryly smile before leaning in and whispering the name to Eddard, who's eyes widen.

"Are you sure?" Ned says, getting a nod from Varys

"Yes, he is a good man, as you said so yourself." Varys says. Ned contemplates for a moment before sighing.

"Fine, but make sure she is safe." Ned says.

"She will be, but remember you may not see her for awhile . She won't come back unless he knows its safe" Varys says, getting a nod from Ned as they reach the gate. Ned helps Sansa onto a horse as he gets on his. Ned looks back at the city one last time before leaving.

"Goodbye Arya, be strong, for winter is coming" He said as he and Sansa begin their journey to Robb's camp.

**Red Keep, a few days later- **The small council was in meeting once again, to discuss their plans for the war. Joffrey sits smiling smugly in his seat as the other members arrive.

"Let us begin, is their any word from your people on how close Ned Stark is to his son's camp?" Cersei asks. Varys nods.

"A day away, your grace. Two at most" He says.

"He is an experienced warrior and tactician, he won't make things easy on us." Petyr Baelish says. Joffrey laughs.

"We will destroy him and all those who oppose me,even my uncles." Joffrey says.

"Yes, Renly has is backed by House Tyrell, as well as the Stormlands. Stannis has many ships in his navy" Pycelle says, offering his "wisdom".

"Dealing with them is a problem, but I believe we should decide what to do with Arya Stark." Cersei says.

"I have already seen to that" Joffrey says, surprising the others.

"What do you mean?" Cersei says, as she has a bad feeling in her gut.

"Before the meeting, I ordered a couple gold cloaks to take her to the docks and drown her" Joffrey says, a twisted smile on his face. The others look on in shock.

"We needed her! They have your uncle Jaime!" Cersei says, surprising Joffrey.

"What? How?" He asks.

"It doesn't matter, now that we lost our last chance to get him back" Cersei says. All the council members look down and think of what they can do next.

"Everyone, get out" Cersei says with venom in her voice. The members all leave, followed by Joffrey a few moments later. Cersei angrily throws her goblet against the wall, shattering it. As the members of the council leave, Varys spots one of his little birds, a young coal boy.

"Go tell our friend that he needs to hurry to the docks" Varys says, and the boy nods and hurries off.

**Docks- **Arya feels herself being dragged toward the water. She notes how the many sailors just look away as she and the guards pass by. She is led to a secluded spot, and the guard grabs her by the neck.

"Sorry about this little girl" he says as he throws her into a shallow part of the water. As she tries to get up, he holds her head down. Arya realizes that this is her execution, and struggles to free herself. Her lungs burn as she feels like she is fading, only for the guard to be pulled off her by a hooded figure. The figure brandishes a sword and stabs one of the guards, before pinning the other to a wall.

"You made sure to kill Arya, and when the other guard went to stop you, you killed him. Am I clear?" The hooded man says. The remaining guard nods fearfully, and hurries off. Arya climbs out of the water, coughing horribly. The hooded man helps her up, and hands her Needle.

"A gift from Varys, he wanted you to have it, now come on" The man says as he leads her to a nearby ship. He helps her on board and then into the cargo hold, where a crude bed is prepared for her.

"Who are you, and why are you here?" She asks, confused. The man pulls back his hood revealing his face.

"I am Barristan Selmy, and I am taking you with me too Essos." He said, shocking young Arya.

"But Ser Barristan, what about my family?" She asked.

"We will return when it is safe for you, but not before then." He said. Arya nods, understanding the risk of traveling to her family.

"Before we go, we have to make it so you are hard to recognize." He says, pulling out a dagger. Arya looks alarmed at first, but realizes what he intends to do and lets him. Barristan begins to cut her hair, and after a few minutes she looks very much like a young boy.

"Good, now to give you a name" Barristan says. Arya thinks for a moment.

" Arry, it sounds like my old name at least. " She says. Barristan nods and walks to the other side of the hold. He lays down on a small pile of straw.

"Get some rest, Arry your gonna need it" He says. Arya nods and lays down in her makeshift bed, and drifts off into sleep.

**AN- Hey guys, I hope you liked this. I just felt like writing it, so I went for it. Anyways, remember to review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN- Hey guys, another chapter here. I felt like updating since I really like this story, and I got big plans for it. Remember to R&amp;R and as always, I hope you enjoy!**

**New Lands**

**Narrow Sea- **Arya is on the deck of the _Sea Witch_, running around and helping the sailors with one thing or another. They had been good to her for the most part, and had showed her a lot of things about working on a ship. As she finishes tying some ropes, the ship's captain, a jolly and kind man, appears on the poop deck.

"Arry! Go to the top of the mast and check on how close we are!" He shouted. Arya nodded and preceded to climb up the main mast. It was a little known fact, but she had actually been the one to teach Bran to climb. He may have had more talent for it than she did, but she had worked long and hard, honing her skills. She made her way to the crow's nest, and looked out in front of her. She saw a massive statue,and knew that it could only be the Titan of Braavos. She smiled and climbed down the mast. She ran over to the captain.

"I could see the Titan" She said. He smiled and nodded.

"Head on to Ser Barristan, tell him that we are near the city." The captain said. Arya nodded and ran into the cargo hold. She found Barristan sharpening his sword.

"Ser Barristan, we are going to be there soon"Arya said, getting a smile from the old knight.

"Good, make sure your ready." He said, Arya nods and walk over to her bed. She picks up a sheathed Needle, and straps it to her waist. She starts to walk out, but then turns to face Ser Barristan.

"Ser, may I ask a question?" Arya says.

"Yes, you may" Barristan says, still sharpening his blade.

"Well, before you left, did you have a squire?" She asks.

"Not a full time one. Why?" Barristan answers.

"Well, I was training back in the capitol, and I know that a squire gets training in return for their service." Arya says. Barristan looks up from his sword.

"Are you applying for the job?" He questions.

"Well, as long as there is no rule about girls being knights or squires, then yes." She says. Barristan thinks for a moment, before answering.

"Well, in all my years I have never seen that rule written anywhere. So I would say that your hired." Barristan says, with a small smile. Arya smiles.

"Thank you, I won't let you down Ser." She says. Barristan stands up.

"Well then, here is your first job. Finish sharpening my blade." Barristan says, handing the whetstone and sword to Arya. She nods and sits down, slowly and meticulously sharpening the sword. As she does this, one of the sailors walk in.

"Oy, captain says about five minutes until we dock" He says, and then walks back onto the deck.

**Riverlands- **Robb Stark sits in his tent, his mother next to him. The two Starks are nervous, as they had heard no word of Eddard since he demanded trial by combat. Rumors circled that he had won, lost, and even died but took his opponent too. As they sit, the Greatjon hurries in.

"My lord, my lady, two horses have been spotted heading our way. It looks like its Lord Eddard." He says. Catelyn and Robb stand up and rush outside. They hear loud cheering and sigh in relief as they see Eddard ride up to them, Sansa next to him. Robb and Catelyn run forward and hug Ned and Sansa. The two are happy for a moment, before Robb notices something wrong.

"Wait, where is Arya?" Robb asks. Eddard looks away, shame on his face.

"Ned, tell us where Arya is." Cat says. Eddard looks at his wife, and breaks down. He explains everything that happened, his confession, the trial, and Arya being arrested. Eddard lets all the regret and guilt flow out. Cat comforts him, holding his head to her shoulder.

"Its fine Ned, its not your fault" She says. Ned stands up, and straightens himself.

"I'm sorry. What matters now, is that we win this war" Ned says.

"Your right father, come to my tent, we'll plan our next move in there." Robb says. Ned nods, and the Stark men move into the tent, while Cat takes Sansa to her tent, so the young girl can get cleaned.

**King' Landing- **Cersei and the small council were having a meeting. Joffrey was not present, as he was attending his Name Day celebration. As the council discussed trivial matters, they heard whistling, and turned to find its source. It was Cersei's younger brother Tyrion.

"Don't get up, I don't mean to interrupt." He said, sitting down and pouring himself some wine.

"What are you doing here? This is the small council." Cersei said.

"I thought the Hand of the King was welcome to all small council meetings." Tyrion said.

"Our Father is Hand of the King" Cersei rebuked

"Yes, but in his absence" Tyrion says, pulling out a letter and handing it to Varys, who opens it up.

"Your lord father has named Lord Tyrion acting hand of the king" He says, and Cersei slams her hands down.

"Out! All of you out!" She said, and the other members left, leaving only the Lannisters in the room alone.

"How did you trick father into this?" Cersei demanded.

"If I could trick father I would be emperor of the world by now" Tyrion answered.

"Why did he send you?" Cersei asked.

"To advise Joffrey, and so we can get Jaime back" Tyrion said.

"How?" Cersei questioned.

"Well, first bring me up to speed with what happened to Ned Stark" Tyrion said.

"Simple, he won his trial by combat. He took his older daughter Sansa, but we were able to detain Arya for her assault of Joffrey on the road." Cersei said. Tyrion nodded.

"Good, at least we have one Stark left." He said.

"Actually, we don't" Cersei mumbled quietly, but Tyrion still heard.

"What, did she win her own trial by combat?" Tyrion says mockingly.

"Joffrey decided that he wanted to send a message to the Starks. He had her drowned in the water with out my knowledge." Cersei said.

"Well that certainly puts a kink in our plans. Not only will the Starks be furious, but the common folk and other lords won't like the idea of us slaughtering little girls." Tyrion said.

"It wasn't my fault. I couldn't stop him" Cersei said. Tyrion sighs.

"Do the Starks know about this?" Tyrion asks.

"No, I had the guard who did it killed in his sleep. The only ones that know are the small council." Cersei said.

"As much as it pains me to say it, we should inform the Starks. They deserve to know at least." Tyrion says.

"Are you mad? If they find out they will kill Jaime" Cersei says.

"Cersei, you are a mother. You would want to know if your daughter is dead or not. I trust the honor of the Starks enough to not kill Jaime over this." Tyrion says, as he walks out, leaving Cersei alone in the council room.

**Braavos- ** Arya follows close behind Ser Barristan as they make there way through the bustling city. The many people of the city, yelling and bustling through reminds her of King's Landing. Although, it smells better in Braavos then in the capitol.

"Ser Barristan, where are we headed?" She asks.

"Well, we need to find some work so we can buy supplies, best place to start would be a tavern." Barristan answers, as they head towards the nearest one. They are stopped when they hear cheering and see a large caravan coming through. They see a man in impressive dark robes walking, with two guards on either side of him.

"Who is that?" Arya says. Barristan looks him up and down.

"I do believe he is the Sealord of Braavos." Barristan says. They look on as the Sealord walks through the city. Arya notices about four hooded people all getting a bit to close to the Sealord.

"Ser, do you see them?" She asks. Barristan nods and puts a hand on his sword.

"I do, stay here" He says, as he walks forward. The hooded men launch an attack, killing two of the guards with the knives that the wield. Barristan charges forward, killing one of them. He then engages the other one in combat. The two guards quickly jump on one of the attackers, while another slowly makes his way to the Sealord. As he draws his dagger, Arya notices and runs at him, pulling Needle out. She slips into her water dance form, and strikes at the assassin. She is able to back him up slowly but surely, as he struggles to parry her attacks. He ends up back against the wall of a building. He manages to dodge one of her strikes, and her sword gets stuck in a wall. He brings down his dagger as hard as he can, breaking Needle in two. He pushes Arya down, and turns to face the Sealord. Arya grasps the broken blade of her sword in her hand, causing it to bleed. She stabs the assassin in the back with the blade, killing him. As the guards and Barristan finish the other ones off, the Sealord walks over to Arya.

"Thank you, I would have died with out you and your...grandfather's help." He says, the term grandfather being more of a question.

"Your welcome, and he's not my grandfather." Arya says. Ser Barristan walks over to Arya and the Sealord.

"Well it doesn't matter. May I ask where did you learn the water dance?" The Sealord says. Arya looks at Barristan, who nods.

"I had a teacher, named Syrio Forrel" She says, and the Sealord looks surprised.

"What? Well I new Syrio, he served as my First Sword for a long time. How is he?" The lord asks. Arya looks down, her face full of sadness.

"He's dead" She says.

"He was a good man. You must have been a special girl for him to teach you" He said shocking Arya and Barristan.

"How did you know she is a girl?" Barristan asks. The Sealord smiles.

"The same way I know who you are, Ser Barristan Selmy. I pay attention. Now come along. We shall put some food in you, and tend to that wound." He says, and leads them to his home.

**Palace of the Sealord- **Arya and Barristan sit at the large dining table of the Sealord. The two eat the delicious food that is being served. After being on the ship for so long, the food tastes much better. Arya and Barristan had confided in the Sealord their story, as he seemed to be trustworthy.

"So, are you two enjoying the food?" He asked.

"Yes sir, thank you for your hospitality" Arya said. The Sealord waved it off.

"You saved my life, this is the least I can do." He said. Barristan and Arya finished their last bit of food and stood up.

"Thank you again, my lord Know we must be ready to leave the city tomorrow." Barristan said.

"Ah yes, guards, escort Ser Barristan to the stables so he can pick a horse. I will have supplies for your trip ready for you. And Arya, I have one last gift for you, come." He said, standing up. Barristan followed the guard, and Arya followed the lord. He lead her into his personal armory. It had many impressive weapons ranging from flails to claymores to spears. He pulled a key out of his pocket, and used it to open up a chest. He pulled out an elegant sword. It had a eagle head pommel, and the cross guard was shaped like wings. It was much larger than Needle, but still not overly so that she could not wield it. He handed the blade in the scabbard to her.

"This blade was wielded by a great assassin known as Altair many centuries ago. I now give this to you, as my final gift for you saving my life." He says. She pulls the blade out a little and gasps.

"This is Valyrian steel, I don't think I can accept this" She says, but the Sealord shakes his head.

"Nonsense. You are the last student of Syrio Forrel. Consider it as recompense for your old sword being broken." He says.

"Thank you sir, I'll put it to good use" Arya says, strapping the sword to her waist..

"Good, maybe you can combine the Water Dance with the Westeros style. Anyways, you should head off to your knight. He might be in need of his squire." He says, and Arya nods and heads off.

**Morning- **Barristan and Arya are at the gates of the city, both of them on horseback. As they prepare to leave, Barristan raises a hand.

"Arya, I believe I forgot something at the palace, I will be right back." He says. Arya nods as he gets off his horse and heads for the palace. When he arrives, he walks into the Sealord's office.

"Ser Barristan, is there something you need before you leave?" He says. Barristan nods, and pulls Arya's broken sword out and a letter.

" I need to send these to Varys in King's Landing. Westeros thinks that Arya is dead, and her broken sword may prove it to them. They won't look for her anymore, so she will be safe." Barristan says.

"I understand, the message will be delivered." The Sealord said. Barristan nodded and left. He went back to Arya.

"Did you find it Ser?" She says.

"Yes, I have everything I need. Let's go" He says, as the two head out of the city, and into the rest of Essos.

**AN- Another chapter down! First, yes the sword Arya has is the sword of Altair from Assassin's Creed. It was just a little thing I threw in. This is not a crossover fic, so no Templars either. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed, and remember to review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN- Hey guys, another chapter here. Well, I have to warn you, this chapter got kind of dark. I feel kind of bad for writing it. So anyways,remember to R&amp;R, and I hope you enjoy!**

**Deepest Regrets**

**Riverlands- **The Stark family was in their army camp, currently Catelyn, Robb, and Sansa were together, while Ned was off in his own tent. Their cheery conversation was cut off when the Greatjon entered. He had an already open note, and handed it to Cat. She read it, and her face became full of grief and sadness

"You have my deepest condolences,my lady." He said. Cat handed the letter to Robb, who's hands shook as he read it.

"Does my husband know?" Cat asked, and got a nod from the Greatjon.

"He saw it first, he wanted me to give it to you, while he mourns." He says. Sansa looks confused and worried.

"What is it?" She asks, Cat turns to face her, as Robb remains silent.

"Arya is dead. Joffrey had her drowned." Cat says, getting a gasp from Sansa. The two females hugged, tears in their eyes. Robb put the letter down and walked out of the tent. Cat and Sansa followed him.

"Robb, what are you doing?" Cat asked, as her first born son walked with a purpose. She quickly realized her son's intended target. Jaime Lannister.

"Sansa, go get your father!" Cat said, as he tried to stop Robb. Sansa nodded and ran to her father's tent. She found him kneeling on the floor, tears in his eyes. Sansa ran in front of him.

"Father! Robb saw the letter! He's going to kill the Kingslayer!" She said. Ned broke out of his stupor, and stood up. He ran as fast as he could out of his tent, considering his injured leg.

**Northern Army Prison-** Jaime sat tied to the post of his cage, as the door was opened. Robb walked in, a mean expression on his face, while his mother was behind him.

"So, what does the Young wolf want with me?" Jaime says, with a mocking tone.

"Joffrey is your son, right?" Robb asks in a commanding tone. His hand goes to his sword.

"No, he is not" Jaime lies. Robb's anger boils over and he draws his sword.

"Liar!" he yells, as he bring his sword up to swing at the Kingslayer. He is stopped by Ned, who grabs him from behind.

"Let me go! He killed her! He killed her!" Robb says. He is wrestled to the floor by Ned. The guards break the two apart, and hold Robb back.

"Let me kill him!" Robb says, Ned stands between his son and Jaime.

"If you kill him now, we loose our most valuable prisoner. Remember it was Joffrey who killed her." Ned says, trying to be the voice of reason. Robb struggles in the arms of the guards, but settles down after a few moments.

"Escort my son to his tent" Ned says. The guards nod and take Robb back to his tent. Jaime looks at Ned and smirks.

"What's got the boy's breeches in such a knot?" He asks mockingly. Ned turns and punches Jaime in the jaw, stunning the Kingslayer. Ned kneels down so he is face to face with Jaime.

"Your son had my daughter Arya executed. He had her drowned like a rat." Ned says with a cold fury in his voice. Jaime is shocked by the news, but regains his composure.

"How do you know this to be true? It could be a lie to rile up your anger at my family." Jaime says. Ned shakes his head and picks up the letter that had Robb had dropped in the tussle. He hands t to Jaime, who reads it.

"Would you call your own little brother a liar?" Ned says, before leaving the cage. Jaime looks at the letter's bottom, and sees Tyrion's signature. He sighs and accepts the fact that he could very well be useless to the Starks now.

**Essos- **Arya carries a bucket of water back to her and Ser Barristan's camp. She places the heavy bucket next to the horses, as they reach down and drink out of it. She smiles and turns around, and sees Barristan standing with two metal sparring swords in his hands.

"So, you already received training in sword play, correct?" He says, as he tosses one of the swords to her. She catches it with ease.

"Yes, I have" She responds, getting into her water dancing form. Barristan looks her form up and down.

"Well, now you have a sword made for piercing armor, so your going to have to modify your old style." He says. Arya nods and shifts her body so its facing Barristan a bit more than before, but not completely facing forward. He smirks and then begins to give some light strikes at her. She parries and blocks effectively, and impresses Barristan.

"Your teacher seems to have taught you how to defend well. How about you go on the offense?" He says. Arya smiles and begins to strike at the veteran swordsman. Her strikes are slower than with Needle due to the extra weight of the sword, but she compensates by using her momentum when she strikes, or using two hands on the back swing. Barristan parries the strikes, but smiles at her determination. She manages to almost hit him on one of the swings, but he counters and disarms her.

As she reaches for her sword, he stops her, and hands her a bow and a quiver full of arrows.

"Every time I manage to disarm you, I want you to go into the woods and kill one animal with this, and bring it back." He says. Arya huffs and takes the bow, before walking into the woods. Barristan smiles and goes over to the horses. He brushes their coats, making sure they are nice and clean. After around half an hour, Arya returns with a dead rabbit in her hands, which has already been gutted and skinned. Barristan smiles and points to a basket. She places the carcass in it, and the pelt next to it. She places the bow down, and the quiver next to it. She turns and sees a sword flying at her. She reflexively catches it, and gets back into her new fighting form.

**That Night- **Barristan sits in front of the fire, cooking a couple rabbits. He smiles as he hears rustling from the bushes, and sees Arya emerge, holding a small bird. She throws it into the basket, which is now overflowing with meat. Arya sits next to Barristan, her body sporting a few bruises a cut or two from sword strikes she could not parry. He hands her a piece of rabbit, which she happily excepts.

"Thank you Ser" She says, as she devours the piece of meat quickly . Barristan smiles and chuckles.

"Your the one who caught the food. I must admit that I am surprised you are so willing to eat a rabbit." He says. Arya giggles a little.

"When I was in the Flea Bottom, I caught birds for food." She says. Barristan nods.

"Smart, couldn't afford to be caught stealing could you?" He says, getting a nod from Arya.

"Yeah, I had to make sure I wasn't caught." She says. Barristan nods and eats as well. The two are silent for a few minutes, before Barristan stops eating for a moment.

"Arya, did you leave anything behind at the Red Keep before you came here?" He asks. Arya's face becomes a bit sad for a moment.

"Yes. I left a letter, for my family." Arya says. Barristan looks at her curiously.

"What was it about?" He asks. Arya takes a deep breath before speaking.

"Well, when the guards came to my door the day we left, I knew that I was going to die. So I barred the door, and wrote a letter so that I could give them some peace." She says sadly.

"That was very honorable of you. People deserve closure for their family" He says. Arya sighs as she lays down on a makeshift bed.

"I just wish my family knew I was safe" She says as she starts to close her eyes, as she drifts in to sleep.

"So do I, but if they knew so would the Lannisters, and then you wouldn't be safe anymore." He says, as he turns to face her, only to find that she is asleep. He smiles and lays down on his bed, and lets sleep come over him.

**King's Landing-** Tyrion sat at a desk in his room, looking over a map of the seven kingdoms. It had the names of all the great houses on it, and a X over almost all of them. He heard a loud knocking at his door.

"Come in!" He said. Cersei walked in, looking as angry as ever. She sat in a chair a few feet from him.

"What did you call me for?" She asked rather harshly. Tyrion rolled his eyes before speaking.

"Well then dear sister, I'll get right to the point. I have been looking for someone to become a bride for your son." Tyrion says. Cersei looks at him with disinterest.

"So? Joffrey is king, a suitable wife should be easy to find." She said, getting a chuckle from her younger brother.

"Oh yes, with four out of the seven kingdoms in open rebellion, that would be easy wouldn't it ?" He said mockingly. Cersei grimaced in response.

"Are you saying that due to the war you can't find a wife for a king?" She says angrily.

"No, I am saying that what was left of the eligible marriage candidates don't want to marry someone who had a little girl drowned." Tyrion says. Cersei bites her lip and looks down.

"Well then, what of the minor houses?" She asks, hoping that someone will want to become queen.

"A few of them would offer, of course, but no one who's house could benefit us in the long run." Tyrion says. Cersei stands up and paces back and forth.

"I don't understand, not one lord would like to have their daughter be a queen?" She asks. Tyrion sighs and shakes his head.

"Most of them fear Joffrey's temper might kill their daughters. As a parent you must know how it feels to fear for your children." Tyrion responds. Cersei is silent for a few moments.

"What of Dorne? The Martells have many daughters" She says, even though it would be a long shot. Tyrion laughs at the suggestion.

"Considering how well the last marriage into the royal family worked for them, I would say that they are off the table as well." Tyrion says. Cersei looks at him grimly, remembering the stories of what became of the Targaryen children.

"I don't understand, how could Arya's death cause all of this fear?" Cersei asks. Tyrion sighs before answering.

"That's the reason I wanted to speak with you. It seems someone is spreading rumors that Joffrey had Arya made his betrothed, and that when she refused him he had her killed. Not a very pretty picture for the ladies of Westeros." Tyrion says, shocking the queen regent.

"Who is spreading such unfounded rumors?" Cersei says in a demanding tone. Tyrion's face becomes very serious.

"Who is spreading them isn't the problem. The problem is that they might not be unfounded." He says, turning away from his sister, and sipping his wine. Cersei's eyes widen at the information.

"No, Joffrey would never force himself on her." Cersei says, trying to deny the monster she had created. Tyrion looks her right in the eyes.

"Oh really, he would drown her in the sea but not rape her? I thought you knew your son well." Tyrion says, his face carrying a cold fury.

"No, he wouldn't do that. And you have no proof!" She screamed. Tyrion stood and walked over to her.

"After I came to the city I had her room searched for any belongings. My men found her bed sheets stained, and a letter to her family. If you don't believe me ask your son, he is sure to brag about it" Tyrion says. Cersei stands there contemplating what her brother just said. She turns and walks out of the room without a word, heading for the throne room.

**Riverlands-** Currently, a meeting was being held between the Stark bannermen. Eddard and Robb sat in the middle of the group, listening to the suggestions of who to side with. Eddard stood up and raised his hand.

"Silence!" He shouted. The men quit their bickering and waited for their lord to speak.

"Stannis is the true heir of the kingdom, we should declare for his cause." Ned says, getting murmurs from the men.

"Fighting over who is the true heir has got us here in the first place, father. What matters is who is a better king for the people. You must admit Renly has got his brother beat there" Robb says. The father and son stare at each other for a moment, before the Greatjon stands up.

"My lords, if I may speak, it was the dragons we bowed to, and the dragons are dead. I hate many things about the wildings, but they got it right about choosing their kings." He says, getting confused looks from the others.

"What are you saying?" Ned asks, and the Greatjon pulls his sword out and points it at him.

"There is the only man I intend to call king. The King in the North!" He shouts. The other bannermen draw their swords and follow the chant. Ned stands, amazed by the support shown by his men. As his son and wife turn to face him, he nods, excepting his new position.

**Red Keep, Throne Room- **Cersei walks into the room, a fake smile plastered on to her face. She notices the heavy renovation being done, and walks up to her son.

"Hello mother." He says pleasantly.

"Hello Joffrey, what is all this?" she asks, genuinely curious. Joffrey smiles and walks with her slowly to the throne.

"Restoring this room to its proper appearance. Say what you want about the Targaryens, but they were conquerors, that is a seat for a conqueror." He says, pointing at the Iron Throne. Cersei nods.

"Very true, but I came here to discuss a disgusting lie I heard." She says. Joffrey smiles.

"Do not fear, mother. I don't believe what they say about you, and uncle Jaime." Joffrey says. Cersei is stunned for a moment, before regaining her composure.

"Well, that's well and good, but I was talking about a different rumor." Cersei says, catching her eldest child's attention.

"Oh, what is it?" He says. Cersei takes a deep breath before she speaks.

"Well, I heard that people think that you tried to make Arya your betrothed, and when forced yourself on the girl before you had her executed." Cersei says, for the first time praying that her son would throw a temper tantrum because of the lie. Instead a small smile forms on his face.

"So what if I did? A king can do whatever he likes. That includes women." He says, as Cersei feels a horrible sickness in her stomach.

"A women? She was barley ten and one!" She says, feeling, for once, anger against her son. Joffrey himself was quite shocked by his mother's words.

"A king can do what he likes! You should best remember that!" He says, causing Cersei to slap her son hard in the face. Before he can react, Cersei leaves the room in a huff. The workers that had gone silent go back to their tasks, and all goes back to normal.

"What has my son become?" Cersei thinks to herself as she leaves the room.

**AN- And another chapter done. Well, I have no idea how you will react to that bombshell. I feel real bad about it, but I let my inner evil writer out for this chapter. Anyways, tell me what you think with your reviews, and I hope you enjoyed.**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN- Hey guys, another chapter here. I had to think really hard on how to follow up the last chapter. So, I guess this is the product of my thoughts. Anyways, remember to review. Enjoy!**

**Strange Meetings**

**Pentos- **Arya finds herself in a large tavern, sitting in a corner as to not attract attention. Barristan had left her there, saying he had to go speak to a friend. Arya notices a commotion coming from the other side of the bar. She stands and goes over to investigate. She finds two people, a woman, who had her face covered, and a man, with a pendent she could recognize anywhere.

"What are a Septa and Septon doing here?" She thought to herself. She saw the woman, and noticed that she was not much older than Robb. The man was also young, but was most likely a few years older. Arya walked closer to them, and notice the jeering coming room the local crowd.

"How about you go back to Westeros, you damn heretics!" One said, getting cheers of approval from the other locals. Arya quickly stepped up between the crowd and priest and priestess.

"How about we perform for them? You could sing a hymn." She says, trying to defuse the situation. The Septa nods and smiles.

"Good suggestion, I have a few instruments you can pick from." she says, grabbing a bag of musical instruments. Arya smiles and picks up a faded grey ocarina. Back in Winterfell, all the Stark children learned or would learn to play at least one instrument. For they boys it was to learn had eye coordination, and for the girls it was taught that it would please their husbands. It one of the few ladylike things Arya was good at or enjoyed.

"Now, what song should we play?" The Septon asked, picking up a small drum.

"Hmm, how about Gentle Mother?" Arya suggested, getting a nod from the septa. Arya prepared herself to play, as the Septon counted them in. The melodious voice of the Septa began to carry through the halls.

"_Gentle Mother, font of mercy,_

_Save our sons from war, we pray._ _Stay the swords and stay the arrows,_ _Let them know a better day._ _Gentle Mother, strength of women,_ _Help our daughters through this fray._ _Soothe the wrath and tame the fury,_ _Teach us all a kinder way._ _Gentle Mother, font of mercy,_ _Save our sons from war, we pray._ _Stay the swords and stay the arrows,_ _Let them know a better day."_

As the Septa had been singing, the patrons of the tavern had turned to face her as they listened to her. Many also enjoyed the soft tune Arya was playing, as they had never heard an ocarina. As the song finished, the room was completely silent. Then one man, drunken to the point where he was barley conscious, clapped slowly for them. He took out a coin and flipped it to the Septa, who caught it. Many of the other customers did the same, clapping and tipping the ragtag band, before they went back to their drinks. The Septa turned and faced Arya with a smile.

"Thank you young one. You have helped me and my brother Clark quite a bit. Oh my name is Bella, by the way." She says. Arya smiles back at her.

"It was nothing, my name is Arry" Arya said. The Septa looked her up and down, and while her brother was busy collecting the coin they had made, she leaned in close to Arya.

"Ah, hiding that you are a girl. Smart." She says, surprising Arya. Before Arya could respond, Clark walked over.

"Here is your portion of the coin, Arry. And may I ask, where did you learn Gentle Mother?"Clark asked.

"It was my sister's favorite song. She sang it to me all the time when I was younger." Arya said, giving a sad smile at the memory of her big sister. She wished with all her heart that Sansa and the rest of her family were doing well.

"Well, keep some of the coin as payment. Oh, and also you can have the ocarina. Think of it as a gift." Bella says. Arya nods and puts the ocarina and money away.

"Where are you two heading anyways?" Arya asked. Clark gave Bella a nod before she spoke.

"Back to Westeros, where at least we are appreciated" Bella said. Arya's eyes widened, as she grabbed a letter from her pocket and quickly handed it to Bella.

"If you meet any lords from the Riverlands or the North, hand this to them." Arya said. Bella and Clark both looked at the letter, and their eyes widened as they saw the wax seal. It was a dire wolf!

"Arry this symbol is.." Clark went to say, but when he looked up, Arya was gone.

**Riverlands- **Ned Stark and his men were marching south, towards a small fort a few miles south. Ned planned to leave some of his men there as a garrison so they can reinforce the minor lords if needed. As they traveled, Ned noticed a large group of men approaching. As they became closer, Ned recognized that it was a group headed for the wall.

"Wait, could Yoren be leading them?" Ned thought to himself. He rode out in front of his men, and ordered the others to camp for the night, as it would be getting dark soon. As Ned rode, he saw exactly who he thought he would. Yoren, leading his group. Yoren saw Ned as well, and got off his horse and halted his group. The two men walked towards each other, never breaking eye contact.

"Yoren" Eddard says. Much to his surprise, Yoren kneels before him.

"Your grace, I am so sorry I couldn't protect your daughter. I know I have failed you." Yoren says. Ned shakes his head and pulls Yoren to his feet.

"I don't blame you, Yoren. The only people I blame are the Lannisters. They will pay for her murder." Ned says. Yoren nods, but then realizes something Ned said.

"Wait, only her murder?" Yoren says. Ned looks at him a bit angrily.

"What? Is my daughter's murder not enough to declare war?" Ned says accusingly. Yoren finally understands.

"No it's not that! It's just that I don't think you know what else happened to her." Yoren says. Ned feels his anger subside, and his morbid curiosity spike.

"What happened to her?" Ned asks. Yoren gulps before reciting the rumors surrounding Joffrey's crimes against Arya. Ned shakes with rage at the thought of his little girl being hurt like that. Before he can speak again, one of his men walked up to him.

"Your grace, a Lannister raven is here to receive your demands for the queen regent." He said. Ned nodded and followed his soldier back to the tent.

"Oh, I have some terms for her." Ned says as he walks.

**King's Landing-** Tyrion and the rest of the small council sat in the meeting room, listening to Cersei as she read the terms from the North.

"And along with the remains of my daughter being returned, You shall denounce all rule of the North. From this day until the end of time, we are a free and independent country of the North" Cersei reads, before ripping the letter up.

"You're becoming quite adept at ripping papers up, aren't you sister." Tyrion says, getting a glare from Cersei.

"Well, what do you recommend we do?" Cersei asks her brother. Tyrion thinks for a moment before speaking.

"Giving them the girl's bones would be a useful show of good faith, problem is we don't have them." Tyrion says. Varys picks up a small bundle of rags and puts it on the table.

"Perhaps not, but my little birds happened to find this." He says, unraveling it and revealing the two broken pieces of Needle,

"What is that?" Tyrion asks. Petyr Baelish answers for Varys.

"It is, or should I say was, young Arya's sword. It seems she must have fought hard before her death." He says. Varys nods and pulls out a letter, handing it to Tyrion.

"This is an unsent letter found in her room, read it if you would like, my lord." He says. Tyrion unfolds the letter and reads it, before passing it to Cersei, who reads it as well, before folding it back up.

"Giving these to the Starks could put us in their good favor" Cersei says, only to be interrupted by Joffrey barging in on the meaning. Cersei, knowing her son as well as she does, hides the letter quickly, but Joffrey spots Needle.

"What is that?" He asks, pointing at the sword.. Before anyone can think of a lie to tell him, Grand Maester Pycelle responds.

"This, your grace, is the sword that belonged to Arya Stark" The old man says, getting glares from all the others present except Joffrey, who smiles wickedly. He walks over and picks up the broken sword

"What a tiny blade, so weak and delicate it must have been to break like this. Fitting, since it is so much like that little wolf bitch" Joffrey says with a smug smile. Both Tyrion and Cersei look on in disgust at Joffrey's display of cruelty. As Joffrey plays with the sword, he manages to cut his finger. Tyrion bites his tongue to keep himself from laughing, but had a huge smile on his face.

"I believe this meeting is over. Pycelle, please treat our king's wounds." Tyrion says. As he and the other small council members stand up and begin to leave, Joffrey bundles Needle up, and carries it with him.

"I will be keeping this." He says as he leaves. Tyrion sighs, and looks over at Cersei, who pulls the letter out and hands it to Tyrion. As they leave, Tyrion walks over to his bodyguards Bronn.

"Bronn, if a sword were kept out near the sea for a few weeks, with no one to care for it, what would it be like?" Tyrion asks. Bronn thinks for a moment before answering.

"It would probably be dull and rusty. Why do you ask?" Bronn says. "Well, unless one of his little birds shined it up real nice, Varys is hiding something about that sword." Tyrion says.

**Beyond the Wall, Early Morning- **Jon Snow was sitting in front of the fire, camping with the ranging party. Grenn and Edd were next to him, also trying to keep warm. They hear a loud commotion coming from the other side of camp. Jon stands up and runs to the noise, followed by the others. They arrive and find a few of the other brothers on someone. The person is small, and guessing by the clothing a wildling Jon can clearly tell it is one of the Wights, and jumps on as well. The lord commander arrives soon after them.

"What's going on?" Jeor Mormant yells. Jon and the other men show him the Wight's face. He sees its blue, lifeless eyes, and nods in understanding. He grabs a torch and goes to light it on fire, but Jon stops him.

"Wait, we can use him." Jon says, pushing its face into the ground as it struggles. Jeor looks at him confused.

"And how is that?" The old commander asks.

"We can take him south and convince the lords to send us troops, we're going to need them." Jon says. Jeor thinks for a moment, before putting the torch down.

"Bind the deadman. You can take him to King's Landing Snow, bring a few men you trust to help. I'll write up a letter so that Thorne will let you through. Perhaps you'll have better luck than he did convincing those politicians." Jeor says, as the men bind the wight. Jon nods and walks over to Grenn and Edd.

"You two will come with me, its a better job than freezing to death out here" Jon says and both of them nod. He leads them back down south towards the wall, when Edd speaks up.

"Been a long time since I've been south, wonder how many people I new are dead." He deadpans. Jon's face shows his worry. The last thing he heard about his family was that his father was arrested. Grenn sees this in Jon's face. "Don't worry Jon. Your family is fine. Aren't all northernmen supposed to be tough as nails?"

Grenn jokes, hoping to lighten the mood. Jon smiles as the lead the wight around, making sure he can't attack them. "You're right, my father is fine. He has to be." Jon says the last sentence to himself, as he looks out into the distance, and can see the wall miles away.

**AN- And another chapter done! I want to tell you guys about a poll I have on my profile about the story. It determines Arya's religion in this fic, so it is very important that I get votes. I have my own personal favorite, but I want to put it out there for you guys to vote. Anyways, remember to vote and also to leave a review, and I hope you enjoyed!**


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